


Breath of Fresh Despair

by ikuzonos



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mastermind, F/F, Mastermind Maizono Sayaka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-05 01:50:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6684433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikuzonos/pseuds/ikuzonos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Monokuma turned, teeth barred, “You kiddos! I can’t begin to ‘bear’ your words... You better be prepared to sing for your lives!”</p><p>Kyouko’s eyes suddenly widened. She threw out her hand, voice rising, “Naegi-kun!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breath of Fresh Despair

“It’s clear!” Makoto shouted, pointing his finger, “The true mastermind behind this killing game is… Junko Enoshima!”

“Upupupu!” Monokuma had started giggling as they’d first began putting their pieces together, but now his laughter was loud and clear.

Byakuya frowned, “Enough with the laughter. Show your face, Enoshima!”

Touko’s voice shook, “W-W-We know who you really a-are! Don’t t-try and hide!”

Monokuma turned his back, “Such demanding students! I’m appalled by how badly you treat your lovely headmaster!”

Aoi banged her fist down on her podium, “I want to know what’s really going on here!”

“Yeah, no more hiding! Don’t be mean!” Yasuhiro added.

Monokuma turned, teeth barred, “You kiddos! I can’t begin to ‘bear’ your words... You better be prepared to sing for your lives!”

Kyouko’s eyes suddenly widened. She threw out her hand, voice rising, “Naegi-kun!”

Before he could respond, a pink mist filled the air. Makoto coughed, unable to either see or breathe the spicy air.

When all was clear, six pairs of eyes fell on a woman with porcelain skin, eyes colder than the ocean, and a smile that could destroy the world.

She looked so different than the last time they had seen her, but in a way, she almost looked the same.

She smiled gently, but so calmly that it was almost eerie, “Hi there, Naegi-kun.”

Makoto’s voice got caught in his throat, unable to think of an intelligent response. There was what he was seeing, and what he knew, and the fact that he was tricked by her again. She played him like a fiddle once, and now she had done it again.

“M-Maizono-san?” he whispered, “What are you…”

Sayaka Maizono was so beautiful, even with her menacing gaze. She was the kind of woman who could kill you with the bat of an eye, and you’d only blame yourself for it. Her shiny blue hair was tied in pigtails, held in place by Monokuma pins, while a black and white dress completed the look.

She was despair.

Byakuya hissed, “But how did you…”

Sayaka turned to face him, “Survive? Fool you idiots? Mastermind the game? There’s a lot of ways to finish that sentence, Togami-kun!”

“What about Enoshima-chi?” Yasuhiro added, “Isn’t she supposed to be the one behind this?”

Kyouko frowned, “I knew it was too easy. What fun would this be for you if we got it right?”

“Every story has a good red herring,” Sayaka responded, “Or two, if you’re counting Mukuro Ikusaba.”

Touko said, “Huh? How w-was she a r-red herring?”

“I take it you never tried to be a mystery novelist,” Sayaka responded, glancing down at her nails, “Mukuro Ikusaba… Nobody by that name has ever existed.”

Aoi frowned, “But wasn’t she dressed as Enoshima-chan?”

Sayaka said, “Oh come on. Junko Enoshima died as she lived, getting impaled. That bitch could only paint her nails. Do you really think that was a soldier? The corpse I put in the garden was just Enoshima-san.”

Kyouko said, “So your plan was to try and make us think her death was more complicated than it actually was?”

“And it worked,” Sayaka replied, “I seriously can’t believe you all fell for that. How unfortunate do you have to be to end up with the name ‘Mukuro?’”

Byakuya cut in, “But if she’s not a real person, then what were those documents I found in the headmaster’s office?”

A snort, “Forged. There were obvious signs of it within the documents, you know. I can understand Kirigiri-san not noticing, for she didn’t have long before I caught her, but you had a good hour, Togami-kun.”

Byakuya cursed under his breath.

“By the way,” Sayaka said, glancing at Kyouko, “You realized something, just before my reveal, didn't you. Did you figure me out?”

Kyouko said, “I had my suspicions. Both your death and Enoshima-san’s felt… cliché, if you will. But what you said about ‘singing for our lives’ confirmed it.”

Sayaka giggled, “Ooh, clever! You truly are deserving of being a Super High-School Level Detective!

“As for the cliché part, well, what did our lovely audience expect? Two beautiful yet ditzy girls? Neither one of them would last long, so I made short work of it,” Sayaka continued. 

Makoto found his voice, “But why would you do something like this?”

Sayaka shrugged, “For the hell of it? The whole idea of a group of best friends killing each other was something I couldn't waste.”

Aoi’s voice trembled, “About the Despairing Incident… D-Did you cause that?”

“I had help,” Sayaka admitted, “My own band of Ultimate Despairs helped spark the world into chaos. After a time, nobody had any idea why on earth they were fighting.”

Touko cut in, “W-W-Why would you d-do this? And why l-lock us up in here?”

Sayaka said, “Well, Jin Kirigiri was adamant about keeping us all ‘safe’ from the despair. So we locked ourselves in… and I had the genius idea to have you guys kill each other.”

Yasuhiro said, “So then… you did this because you wanted to?”

“Duh,” Sayaka replied, “I did it for the sake of despair, but also for the friends that I loved so dearly.”

Byakuya murmured, “This is impossible. I won't believe it.”

Sayaka grinned, “Well, get used to it, Togami-kun! C’mon, it's voting time!”

Aoi blinked, “What's there to vote on?”

A devilish smirk formed on Sayaka's face, “We’re voting on hope and despair.”

Makoto said, “What are you talking about?”

“Well, either you guys are gonna leave, or stay here for the rest of your days,” Sayaka said, “So. If you vote for hope, you can all leave, and I'll be executed. But if even  _ one  _ of you votes for despair, then you get to stay here, but we say bye-bye to Naegi-kun!”

Makoto’s breath caught. 

Kyouko responded, “We’d never choose your life over Naegi-kun’s. I'm voting for hope.”

Yasuhiro nodded, “Why would we let a sicko like you hurt our friend? For hope!”

Aoi said, “Sakura-chan would never forgive me if I let Naegi die. I'll vote for hope too!”

For the first time, Byakuya’s voice trembled, “I… I would never be forgiven if I let the Togami Conglomerate fall to pieces. In the name of my family, I vote for hope.”

Touko let out a small smile, “W-Well, if Master B-B-Byakuya wants hope, then I do t-too!”

Makoto smiled, looking at his friends, “Despair never triumphs, Maizono-san. Don't worry, Fukawa-san can add a footnote about your failure to the novel she's writing about this place.”

Rage filled Sayaka's eyes. Then suddenly, she smiled, “Well, that's probably for the better. Have fun!”

Then before anyone could stop her, she slammed her hand down on a red button. 

A chain reached out, and yanked her away. The screen folded down, showcasing the execution. 

Baseballs slammed into her body, before she got carried away on a motorcycle, and spun around in a cage. A torch fell to the ground, and fire filled the area, before a giant jackhammer began slamming itself into her back. 

Then just like that, she was carried away on a conveyor belt, towards a slammer. She kept a smile on her face the whole time, right until it slammed down and crushed her, leaving nothing but a splatter of blood. 

The six remaining students stared at the screen in silence, unable to form a thought. Everything had happened far too quickly, too quickly for rational thoughts or emotions.

An escape button lay at their feet, but not one of them moved to grab it.

It was too much, this betrayal.

After hours of standing in silence, they rode the elevator out. Nobody spoke, a numb exhaustion falling over all of them.

This was despair.

-

The cranking of a machine echoed throughout the basement.

The six survivors were long gone, in no way able hear the deafening noise. The cranking continued until the slammer had risen up from the ground.

A blue haired beauty got to her feet, brushing dust off of her clothes, “You took your time.”

“My apologies, Maizono-san. I had to assert that the other students had left the area,” came a reply.

Sayaka beamed, “Aw, no need for formalities. It’s okay, I’m not mad at you! I didn’t want to insult you, but I had no choice if I wanted to trick them.”

There was a near silent sigh of relief, “Very well… Sayaka-chan. How long do you think this ruse will fool them?”

Sayaka shrugged, “Long enough for me to round up Kamukura-kun, and the rest of Ultimate Despair, I hope.”

She received a soft smile, “Sounds like a plan. Shall we spread some despair?”

Sayaka grinned sneakily, “Oh, Mukuro-chan. You know me so well.”

Mukuro replied, “Come on then, let’s go.”

Sayaka kicked an empty blood packet as she jumped up onto a raised platform, where her girlfriend stood. She laced their fingers together, as they strolled out of the hellhole known as Hope’s Peak Academy.

As they walked, Mukuro said, “So, how long do you think it will take them to realize that neither of us are dead?”

Sayaka replied, “Oh, when they come back here to have a funeral. Naegi-kun’s always been ridiculously sentimental like that.”

Mukuro nodded, “I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.”

The two despairs vanished from Hope’s Peak Academy. Where did they go? None know.

But they’ll be back someday.

That’s just how despair works.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> talk to me about mastermind ikuzono


End file.
